John Carey run his
publishing company with the hand of a tyrant setting his sons
against each other in a contest to see who will be the heir apparent.
Charles, the elder, is charismatic and good at identifying best
selling books. Philip, the younger, is overshadowed by his brother
and resents it. When Charles produces a son, Peter, in spite of his
unhappy marriage, the child becomes the focus of his grandfather's
attention.
Unfortunately for
the Careys, they draw the attention of Englehardt, an investigator
for the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). He has his own
problematic relationship with his father and becomes obsessed with
the Careys, particularly Philip. Add to this mix, Clayton Barth,
whose father was driven to suicide by John Carey and you have a
prescription for tragedy.
This book has a very
complex plot divided roughly into three parts: Peter Carey's
childhood, the competition between Charles and Philip, and finally
Peter as a young man falling in love and taking over the company.
Personally, I have reservations about books that have an extensive
backstory. The whole first section of this book is devoted to setting
up the rivalries that culminate in the tragedy of the middle and end.
The characters are
interesting. Patterson does a good job of illustrating the rivalries
between brothers and the problems of tyrannical parents preferring
one child over the other. However, because of the considerable
attention paid to backstory, the book is very long and the writing
uneven. Some sections are almost literary in quality; other parts are
reminiscent of a romantic thriller.
If you enjoy a
family saga, this may be your book. However, it has enough short
comings that I have trouble recommending it.
I reviewed this book
for Net Galley.
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